Lower Perkiomen Little League wants to partner with Perk Valley for ball field improvements

PERKIOMEN—The Lower Perkiomen Little League did not quite hit a home run Monday with a pitch to the Perkiomen Valley School Board Monday for proposed improvements to a ball field at Skippack Elementary School.

The presentation by the league’s board president, Kirk Kirkman, included a suggestion for a partnership in which the district would provide funding for spectator stands at the field, which is used for girls’ softball. He told the board that the cost for the stands would be no more than $5,000.

Kirkman said the league was willing to invest $35,000 in various improvements at the field, including dugouts; moving the playing area 20 feet in order to be compliant with Little League regulations; putting in fencing on the first and third base foul lines; having a temporary, removable fence in the outfield; and a solar-powered scoreboard. Currently, he added, the players sit on little benches, and a dugout would offer some protection from the sun.

The league wanted to remove the stigma for girls that softball was secondary to baseball, Kirkman explained.

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He noted that Lower Perkiomen Little League had been in existence for 61 years. According to Kirkman, the number of players has increased from 550 six years ago to about 1,000 at present.

At one time, he said, the league had used fields on Germantown Pike, but then plans had been drawn up to develop a Walmart on the property, which instead wound up becoming a Superfund site.

Kirkman said the league had entered into a 10-year lease with Skippack Township for the use of Palmer Park. Located between Creamery and Heckler roads, the park is adjacent to Skippack Elementary.

The Little League had invested about $100,000 in the fields, Kirkman said. Through working with the township, he told the board, the organization had been able to get a fully operational snack bar, top-quality dugouts and a “signature field” for baseball. Kirkman added that the township had given the league permission for field lights; he said it was “a lot of fun” for the young people to be able to play night games.

Board member John King asked what percentage of league players were Perkiomen Valley students. Kirkman responded that most of the players were from the district, with some from St. Eleanor School in Collegeville.

“I don’t see a reason not to move,” said board member Gerry Barnefiher, who called the proposed improvements a “win-win” for both parties. However, he did express some concern about whether the proposed fencing would interfere with mowing the grass.

“I understand what you’re trying to do,” said fellow board member Randy Bennett, describing himself as a one-time Little Leaguer. He noted that Kirkman had talked about having some district funds put into the project at a time when it was trying to plug a $5 million gap in its budget for the coming year and was facing teacher negotiations.

Bennett asked whether the district had put up money when making its facilities available for other users. Jim Weaver, the district’s business administrator, replied that Perkiomen Valley had shared in the costs for dugouts in the past. However, King said that such collaboration had taken place only at the high school, and he pointed out that fields at other elementary schools did not have dugouts.

Board President Lori Snyder expressed concern about opening up the possibility of having advertising on district property as a way for the league to raise funds.

“That’s a policy issue,” she said.

Kirkman acknowledged that the league put up signage on its field at Palmer Park, and removed it at the end of the season. He also added that the snack bar had allowed the league to have a positive cash flow.

Another question that Snyder raised was whether the “more or less permanent improvements” proposed would eventually become a gift or grant to the school.

“In effect, it would be a donation,” said board Solicitor Brian Subers.

King said he thought the proposal would be great for children, and he had no problem with it.

Bennett, however, said he still felt a little hesitant about the “money part.” Board member Ann Mantey said she was in favor of developing the field, but that it should be kept separate from the issue of the request for district funding.

When Bennett asked how soon the league would need money for the stands, Kirkman said it was “not urgent.” It would be possible to play without the stands for a season, he added. Kirkman said the league would be willing to “de-couple” the stands from the other field improvements.

Barnefiher asked to have the matter placed on the agenda for the board’s Feb. 11 business meeting. Bennett said he would like to see the stands and other improvements treated as separate agenda items.